We spoke to career counselors and consultants and other employment experts – as well as several career-switching veterans – about how to make that big midlife career switch. Among their tips:

• Consider your goal. Are you looking for a better paying job? Or do you want to start on a path toward a dream career? Maybe both? Let the next job put you in line to move toward that ultimate goal.

• Keep your head up. Many laid-off workers personalize job loss and blame themselves for their employment status. Remember that company cutbacks are not your fault.

• If possible, consider taking at least two weeks off after losing a job. If you are angry, depressed or negative, you will probably telegraph your feelings to prospective employers or contacts and possibly undermine your chance of finding work.

• Make sure the job you are shooting for is what you want, or you might find yourself back at square one. Ask yourself, where else could you apply your skills. “You could be really good at something,” says Jerry Cellilo, dean of counseling at Foothill College, “but the work situation could be intolerable and it doesn’t work for you.”

• Do research and collect information from multiple resources so that you have a range of perspectives. It paints a more complete picture of an unfamiliar field or job market. Go to career fairs or workshops. Visit employment centers or One-Stop Career Center (www.edd.ca.gov), which can provide salary data, information on expanding fields and even a lead toward your next job.

• Consider signing up for a community college course. Even if you think you don’t need to brush up on your interviewing skills, you can always use the feedback and the confidence such workshops and recruiters will give you. Also, enrollment entitles you to student services that can help with your job quest.

• If you spot a job you think you want, learn more about it and weigh whether it fits your personality, work style and general lifestyle rather than sending out résumés right away. If you faint at the sight of blood, you might want to reconsider working as a registered nurse or a paramedic.

• Update your résumé based on the job you are aiming for – but only after doing your homework. “Writing your résumé is not the first step to changing jobs,” says Carol McClelland, a career consultant and the author of “Your Dream Career for Dummies” (Wiley/2005). “You’ve got to get clear in your head about where you’re going before you can redo your résumé.”

• Talk to workers in the field you want to enter. They can give you practical information and insights into employment that perhaps no class or job listing can offer.

• Network. Looking for job leads on the Internet or randomly filling out applications pales when compared to learning about openings from people in the field. Often, those professionals can help you find work or introduce you to other helpful contacts. Let all your friends and select business acquaintances know you’re looking for a change. Make more connections at career fairs. Collect business cards. Networking skills might well be your best tool in landing a job.

• Get new business cards. Your old ones no longer reflect who you are, so move forward. Online companies offer great deals, such as Vistaprint (www.freevistadeals.com), which will make 250 cards for $5.25.

• Keep your skills current. Many industries are constantly changing, so take a class or spend time researching the changes in the field you are pursuing to keep yourself up-to-date and as desirable a candidate as possible.

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